


Crows

by icyfox22



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Other, Post-Sburb/Sgrub
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-03-14 17:27:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3419324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyfox22/pseuds/icyfox22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crows are oddly attracted to Dave, you think watching him interact with his companions. A crow sits on his shoulder patiently waiting for him to feed it. It's moments like these that Dave seems to be the most at peace. You've asked Dirk about it, but he just mumbles something about 'sprites' before returning to his room. Dave won't tell you anything, in fact, he won't even get near you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How does one do chapter titles?

**Author's Note:**

> So BASICALLY, I always see post-sburb 'verses where everyone goes to the same world or whatever but it's always Dirk living with Dave and Bro and never the other way around. Thus this story was created. 
> 
> I spent countless hours going back and forth on whether to actually post it or not because holy shit am I bad at fanfiction... 
> 
> No, there's no beta for it, idk if I even plan on getting one.... it'll most likely update whenever. Enjoy!

Crows are oddly attracted to Dave, you think watching him interact with his companions. A crow sits on his shoulder patiently waiting for him to feed it. It's moments like these that Dave seems to be the most at peace. You've asked Dirk about it, but he just mumbles something about 'sprites' before returning to his room. Dave won't tell you anything, in fact, he won't even get near you. 

It's not often you're home, (Dirk refuses to move out to California, and you quite enjoy having a place to be that's out of the spotlight) but when you are, Dave locks himself in his room  until you leave again. You'd be worried but you know he stashes food and drinks in there. There are days like today, when he's feeling social, and the three of you will go to the park for some fresh air.

Dave's crows live on the roof, and they happily followed him as you three headed to the park. Now here you sit, watching him with his birds as Dirk wanders off to do god knows what. You pull out a cigarette and light it, taking a drag, looking around for any sign of the other Strider. You spot him wandering around the pond, apparently spotting whatever he was looking for because he leans down and picks it up.

"You know, I could be way off base here but I'm pretty sure smoking is bad for you," a familiar voice says. You turn and meeting the purple eyed gaze of none other than your long time friend.

"Well, Mrs. Lalonde," you reply as she takes a seat beside you. "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be writing a book." 

"You must be nervous about the movie premier next week," she says. "I can't possibly think of any other reason you'd be here smoking instead of on your precious roof." 

"Writer's block must have hit you pretty hard for you to come all the way here. Don't you have a deadline coming up?" You turn your shaded gaze away from her to find Rose approaching Dave. He waves the crows away as she takes a seat next to him in the grass. The crows fly off and land a few feet away cawing at Rose for the intrusion.

"Rose insisted on coming to see Dave," she says, sighing. "She's worried about him or something. Wouldn't really explain in much detail, just said we needed to come. How is he doing?"

 You shrug. You don't know because he won't talk to you. You tell her as much and she sighs again. Dirk won't tell you anything either. Things have been off since Dave appeared. Literally appeared. It used to be just you and Dirk. You left to work on a film for a few weeks and came back to Dave. The worst part is that this whole universe seems to think Dave has always been a presence in your family, but you know it's a lie. They've both confirmed as much, blaming it on some game that reset the universe. You're not sure how much you believe.

"Rose won't tell me anything either," she says. "Roxy is being surprisingly tightlipped as well. I can't get anything out of either of them."  Off in the distance, you hear the inevitable splash of Roxy knocking Dirk into the pond.

You flick the remains of your cigarette onto the ground and rise from the bench. "Well, Lalonde," you mutter, stretching your arms above you. "I think it's about time for some dinner. Why don’t you treat the kids to your world famous cooking?" 

"And give them all food poisoning?" she shoots back, rising as well. "Why don't we take them out to eat instead?"

******

If there's one thing you love about your neighborhood, it's their ability to ignore your presence when you're around. They either got over it years ago or are polite enough to leave you alone, you couldn't care less really as long as they don't bother your brothers when you're gone. After gathering up the flock, you had all decided on whatever restaurant was closest to the apartment. You wound up hitting up a pizza parlor. 

The server does a double take upon seeing the clones. You're fully convinced Dave hates it, Rose, however seems to get a huge kick out of the experience. You end up ordering three large pizzas with varying toppings. Roxy demanded bacon, whereas Rose just wanted extra cheese. Older Lalonde requested pepperoni, receiving a second vote from Dirk. When Dave insisted on mushroom and pineapple, you could hardly argue, though you didn't outright agree. If there's one thing you've learned while living with him, it's that any similarities between you makes him instantly reject them. Maybe you should send him to a professional. You ponder the pros and cons of this while Lalonde Senior strikes up a conversation with the others. 

Maybe you should offer to get Dave's haircut or dyed. Or get him a new pair of shades. Would he be opposed to that? Probably…. They're like the one thing he refuses to damage or get rid of. Maybe he'd like a tattoo. A piercing? You should ask Dirk when you get home.

"Bro?" You angle your head towards Dirk. "Were you even listening?"

"Just mapping out my next script," you reply. "Gotta keep shit fresh, you know?"

"We were merely discussing the premier coming up," Rose says. "Will Dave and Dirk be attending?" You shrug. You don't know because you haven't asked fi they wanted to yet. Dirk's not particularly big on human interactions though he might be willing to endure one night of it. Dave…. Dave has rarely been seen in public with you let alone all the way in California at a move premier. You're not sure how he'd feel about going and spending a whole night in your presence. You assume he'll opt out of it.

"They're welcome to come if they want to," you mutter, stealing a glance at them to gauge their reactions. Dave is very pointedly staring at his phone. "We don't text at the dinner table, Dave."

"Don't tell me what to do," he snaps just as the server comes out with the pizza. His mouth is drawn tight, brows furrowed. The server hesitates putting the pizza on the table. At some point your drinks arrived. You take this opportunity and flash a grin at the server. 

"Teens, right? Total rebels." The server gives you a hesitant smile back before retreating away from the table. You turn back to Dave. He's definitely giving you his best glare behind that eyewear, his phone rests clutched tightly in his hand. 

"Ohmigosh!" Roxy groans around a mouthful of pizza. "This pizza is totes the best shit I've ever tasted. Like, orgasmic-ly delish." Everyone follows her example and takes their own slices. You're careful not to take one of Dave's slices. Dinner quickly devolves into eating and idle chatter.

"Thanks for dinner, Broseph," Roxy says and you all exit the place, giving you a salute and wink.

"Not a problem," you mutter around the cig in your mouth. Mom Lalonde gives you a disapproving look at you light it.

"Headed home now?" she asks.

"Yeah, gotta practice my big speech."

"Oh please, we all you know make it up on the spot." You roll your eyes at her. A little ways down the sidewalk, Rose and Dave are having a conversation. Roxy and Dirk have launched into one of their own about robotics. You hope it's not another fighting rabbit. Lil' Seb is bad enough.

"Yeah, well you got a book to finish so…. Should probably get on that."

"I finished it this morning actually."

"Do I get a copy?"

"When it's been published." You take a drag, blowing the smoke out through your nose. Tightlipped as ever about her novel. Doesn't she know you can proofread it for her? Two pairs of eyes are always better than one.

"When are you gonna let me make it into a movie?" you ask as you finally start walking towards home. The kids follow behind at a much slower pace.

"I'm simply concerned about the… creative liberties you would take with my work."

"We can write the script together. Give me a list of things that are absolute and I'll make sure to keep them." 

"You want to turn Viceroy into a lizard." 

"He would make an excellent Lizard," you argue, dropping the remainder of the cig on the ground and stomping it out. "Just throw some robes on him and give him a staff and he'd be perfect!"

"He's not a wizard, you know."

"Who's saying he can’t be a wizard?"

"I am." 

"Just think about it would you?" you grumble, stopping in front of your apartment complex. Thank god it's not that far from the pizza place. You hate walking. 

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, dear," she replies. You say your goodbye and head inside. 


	2. Here have this

You make it a habit not to smoke before noon; the only exception to that rule being when you're on set filming. Most mornings, you find yourself fixing a glass of juice before wandering up to the roof to watch the sunrise. There was a point in your life where staying up all night and sleeping all day was an accomplishment. Nowadays you cherish what rest you can get.

The door to the roof creaks open and Dirk walks out in a tank top and sweats. His hair, you notice, is immaculately done up in its usual spikey style. You're convinced he wake up five hours earlier that he needs to just to look presentable. Who he's trying to look good for, you have no idea, but you've never actually seen him look disheveled so early in the day. You also suspect he just doesn't sleep at all which concerns you somewhat. 

Dirk nod in your direction before heading to the far side of the roof for his morning stretches. You used to join him, but since moving between Texas and California it got too complicated. Besides, Texas is your resting place. No work for you while home.  Today, however, you feel the need to indulge him. He doesn't question when you fall into the stretches with him.

 

The sun is high in the sky by the time Dave finally comes into the roof. Unlike Dirk, Dave appears shirtless in pajama pants, hair sticking up at odd angles. You pause in your strifing, swords lowering, to watch him shuffle over to his birds. He tosses a handful of seeds onto the ground and takes a seat against the railing to watch them. Part of you wants to leave, to allow him this time to himself. He gets plenty of time to himself but he seems to value being up here with the crows.

"Bro." You turn to Dirk.

"Yeah?"

"About the premiere-"

" _You_ wanna go?" you say, brows raising well above your shades. His own furrow, mouth twisting in that way that tells you he's annoyed by the interruption.

"Not particularly," he replies, face smoothing out again. "But… I think you should take Dave."

"Why?"

"Bonding opportunity for you two." You don't want to take Dave with you. Things are awkward enough without mixing the paparazzi into this.

"He doesn't even like me."

"All the more reason to do this."

"I can't even get him to sit down and watch a thirty minute show with me. How is he gonna handle a movie premiere?"

"This place reminds him of his brother."

Something in your brain short circuits. Your mind flashes through memories you aren't even sure are real. Somewhere along the line Dave was inserted into your memories the same way he was into your life. The sensation makes your head hurt; memories of you and Dirk at the zoo are overlapped to include Dave.

"Bro?"

 You took Dirk to the beach for the first time and a moment later, there's Dave sitting on the blanket with you. The memories are so oddly patched together, like Dave's been superimposed into them. Suddenly, he's there right next to Dirk learning to handle a sword. Dave and Dirk tag teaming you in a strife. Dave crying while Dirk patches up the cut Dave made on your arm. 

"Bro!" You blink unfocused eyes open, attempting to steady them on Dirk's worried face. He's kneeling over you. You're not sure when you wound up on the ground…. Or why Dirk seems so concerned. 

"You okay?" he asks. You sit up, rubbing your temple. It's not helping the steadily growing headache. 

"Yeah…. Just been outside too long," you mutter. "Heat exhaustion…. Or something…." You slowly get to your feet, with the help of Dirk, and make your way over to Dave. He's pointedly staring at his avian friends when you sit down next to him.

"I'm not going," he says. 

"I'm not giving you a choice, dude."

"I don't want to go."

"Yeah well…. I'm not leaving you home alone and I'm not paying for a babysitter." 

"I don't need a babysitter." 

"You're going." 

"Why do you want me to go so badly?" he snaps, startling the crow by his feet. It caws at him indignantly.

"Consider it a break from routine. You'll like California, promise." You rise to your feet and stretch. "Now go pack, we're leaving tonight. You too, Dirk," you call out before he can sneak off. "We're making this a family vacation." Grumbling to himself, Dave stands up too and stomps over to the stairs to head back inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short I know but take it anyways.... I had planned to add more today but I'm sick and dying so instead you get this. I don't want to dwell too long on these chaps or I'll lose my motivation.
> 
> Next chapter should be expected..... whenever I get around to it.


	3. Have another chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So good news! I'm alive and well! Thank god for that nonsense. On to more important topics now.... OH MY GOSH GUYS. I'm so blown away that people apparently like this????? You don't know how much it means to me. (A lot) I could rant about it for a bit, but does anybody actually read this??? Maybe. Eh. It's whatevs. 
> 
> I'm basically just writing this whole thing willy-nilly with a vague idea of the direction I wish for it to go in. And looky here! two chaps in one week! I'm on a roll.... sorta. But for real this chap got done so fast cuz I've been dying to write it.... didn't quite go as planned but I can totally work with this. 
> 
> Enjoy! ^.^

Your eyes fly open, staring at the wall. Your heart's racing, mind reeling as the remnants of your dream begin to fade away. All you can really remember is red, lots and lots of red and feathers. You roll onto your back and gaze up at the ceiling trying to calm down. Someone was dying you think. Someone close to you…. But not at the same time. Someone…. No…. That's not quite right. The more you try and focus on the dream the harder it gets to remember it. 

A door outside your room squeaks open before clicking shut. You sit up and get out of bed. In the hallway, the bathroom light is on. There's sniffling coming from the other side of the door. Whoever's in there seems to be crying. Dirk's never been much of a crier, however, your fragmented memory supplies you with many instance of Dave bawling. You don't want to deal with a crying Dave right now.

You turn away from the bathroom, deciding on a glass of water since your up. Dave's broken voice stops you cold.

"Br-o…" You heave a sigh and go into the kitchen anyways. You begin boiling some water, get out a couple mugs, and locate the hot chocolate packets. This isn't something you want to deal with. He's not even your real brother, just some freaky clone. Your mind won't stop telling you how wrong you are. Dave's been around almost as long as Dirk has.

You finish making the drinks just as Dave is coming out of the bathroom. His red eyes glance in your direction before pointedly turning back towards his room.

"Dave," you call. "Come talk with me." His shoulders tense as he pauses in his journey back to bed. At first you think he's going to ignore you and just go back to bed. Instead, he makes his way over to you, takes a mug and sits down at the table. You sit across from him with your own drink.

He stirs his drink, gathering liquid on his spoon and sipping at it. His eyes are bloodshot, cheeks puffy, and you wonder if he regrets coming out without his shades to hide behind. Your own pair rest in their spot next to your bed. Thankfully, you're not the one being scrutinized right now.

"Are there marshmallows?" he murmurs. You get up and grab the bag off the counter, placing it in front of him. He proceeds to drop a handful into the mug. Dave sits hunched in his chair, the corner of his mouth turned slightly down.

"Dav-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Neither do you, but he's up in the middle of the night crying. Despite how confused you are about his role in your life, you still care about him. Maybe it was just a bad dream. It wouldn't surprise you, though the coincidence of you both having one is… well… just a coincidence you guess. A very strange coincidence.

You want to ask him… want him to tell you things again. Like he used to, your brain helpfully reminds you. You don't know how to talk about it. You're not even completely sure what needs to be talked about.

Dirk had assured you, bringing him to California would be good for him. That he needed to get away for a little while. Dave seems to hate this situation even more. He doesn't like you, let alone being around you so much. The moment you got here, he locked himself in his room. This is the first time you've seen him come out. Maybe he's pulling a nocturnal things so he can be out when you're sleeping and vice versa.

"Couldn't sleep?" you ask. He glares at you, spoon chasing a marshmallow around the mug. He finally catches it and sticks it in his mouth. You lift your mug up to your mouth and take a sip. When it fails to burn your tongue, you take a bigger sip from it. Dave's on the defensive right now, and if you don't tread carefully he'll freak out. You heave a sigh and place your drink down. His shoulders instantly tense, fingers twitching for a weapon he doesn't have.

"Insomnia seems to run in the family," you tell him. "I can't even begin to count the number of time I had to force Dirk to sleep. He'd stay up for days in his room working on his projects. I suspect it has something to do with inspiration striking in the middle of the night."

 Dave's done the same thing too; staying up all night to work on his photography or music. He'd go to sleep eventually though, unlike you or Dirk. All of you slept irregularly. Every so often, however, Dave would go through periods of being awake for days before hibernating to catch up on all that missed sleep. It concerns you, but you never bothered doing anything about it. Maybe you should now that you can afford to do so. 

"Why are you telling me this?" he asks, cutting off your train of thought. You suppose it's for the best. These not-memories of yours make your head hurt if you think about them too long. 

"Because…." you trail off. Why are you telling him this? Does he share false memories too? He would know all this if he did. "Because you need your beauty sleep. We got a big day tomorrow."

"I already told you I wasn't going. I don't even want to be here right now. Just let me go back to bed."

"Why? So you can cry yourself to sleep?" You don't mean to say it. You don't know why you said it. The damage has been done though. Dave's staring at you, lips pinched closed, eyes hurt. He takes a deep breath, eyes sliding closed before they're gazing at you again. There's a fire there, a certain fierceness that sends a chill down your spine.

"Stop trying to be my bro," he says calmly; his eyes are anything but. "You never were and you never will be. So stop trying." He gets up, dumps out his drink and goes back to bed.

You watch him go, drumming your fingers on the table. That talk spectacularly backfired on you. You finish your drink and head back to your room. In the darkness, you locate your phone and head out onto the balcony. The sun is just beginning to rise over the city. You watch the horizon for a few minutes before typing a number into your phone and pressing 'call'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there ya go! Ended it on a cliffhanger... I guess. The next chap will probs be a continuation of this one rather than somewhat jumping around. I hope you guys like this chapter.... cuz yeah.... like it please! Also I've got names for the Alpha guardians since we can't have two Roses and two Daves running around. You'll figure out what they are eventually (most likely the next chapter). 
> 
> Also, would anyone be interested in following me on tumblr? Is that even a thing people would want to do? I have to admit, I don't really post much of my own stuff on there, but you can pester me to write when my motivation inevitably dies out. 
> 
> OH! And expect like.... way more angst. I LOVE angst. Heh.


	4. Hahaha, I totally didn't forget to add a chapter title!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in one week... hahaha... hah... I totally don't have something way more important to write than some fanfic.... 
> 
> In other news, Alpha Dave and Rose got new names. Hope you guys like them and if not.... welp too bad. If you guys wanna follow me on tumblr I can be found here:
> 
> yaoistmotherfuckerwhoeverlived.tumblr.com 
> 
> Feel free to pester me there, I like talking to people. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

"Dana, how kind of you to call at a reasonable hour for once."

"I told you not to call me that, Rory."

"And deny you what’s yours? I think not," she says, laughing. You hate your name. She's just about the only one who still calls you by your first name. Most just call you Strider and you prefer it that way. Dirk's only ever called you Bro… and Dave, you guess. Maybe. Not like he's actually called you that since he appeared. You can't keep any of it straight anymore.

"It would just be nice if you would respect my wishes," you say.

"You don't complain when Rose calls you that."

"Rose hasn't been around for my entire life." Wrong. That's wrong, your mind argues. She's been around as long as you've had custody of Dave. You never got custody over Dave. Dave's been in your life for four months, tops. You remember the day you picked him up from his foster family. No, Dirk showed up with him in tow one day.

"Don't think about it too hard." Her calm voice cuts through the turmoil. "Just breath for a moment, settle yourself." You do as she says. It clears your mind. She must be experiencing the same thing.

"I just can't figure out how to talk to him…. How do you handle it?"

"By not treating her any differently than Roxy. You think it's so complicated but it's not. He won't talk to you, right?"

"I guess…."

"Right, and why is that?"

"I don-"

"Because none of you know how to properly talk about things. You're trying too hard to connect with him and it’s  having the exact opposite effect. He's upset, possibly angry. If it was Dirk how would you handle it?"

"Take him up to the roof and strife him into exhaustion."

"Have you done that to him yet?"

"No…. But even when I try to he won't do it."

"Are you asking or telling?" You have to think about it. With Dirk, it just kind of happens. Dave usually doesn't appear until after, if he even comes out at all. You're not even sure if Dirk and Dave have sparred. What if he can't even fight? Wait, no. That's stupid. Who's ever heard of a Strider that can't fight?

"I guess you have a point…"

"So what are you going to do?"

"Order room service and get their lazy asses up for breakfast. Figure the rest out from there."  The door to the balcony slides open, and out steps Dirk. What a big surprise. He's got a glass of juice in his hand as he sits in the chair next to you, taking a sip. You say goodbye to Rory and hang up, sitting back in your seat.

"So what's the plan?" Dirk asks.

"Figured we could go down to the beach today." The two of you lapse into silence while he finishes his drink. You order breakfast and eventually get Dave out of bed. He protests a few times but can't ignore the call of bacon and French toast for long. After breakfast, the three of you go to get ready for a day at the beach. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Dana is Alpha Dave because it cracked me up too much to not make it a thing. And then I just really like Rory... so yeah... Next chapter will be the Beach Chapter. So look forward to it. If anyone want to suggest fun shenanigans for them to get into leave a comment! 
> 
> And a few notes:  
> Don't ever expect me to wax poetic about apple juice, even for the sake of the story. I can't stand that shit... or any juice for that matter. Also I'm not a rapper so... the whole rapping thing probs won't happen either unless you want it to be spectacularly shitty. 
> 
> So yeah, I'm starting to lose my steam with this thing.... which is both good and bad. Good because I can focus on more important projects. Bad because I could quite possibly stop writing it all together.... which I really don't want to do. But I really wanna continue this as long as possible so I'll do my best to not let that happen. 
> 
> I've got quite a few other story ideas that I've started writing so eventually I'll probably post those too.


	5. The Beach Episode

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit did this take forever to write.... though I did tell you all updates would be sporadic. Welcome to the Beach Chapter where everyone falls in love and shenanigans ensue. 
> 
> I've officially reached that point where I'm beginning to feel very 'eh' about this story. Not to worry, though, this is very typical for any story I get about 4 chapters into writing, especially fanfic. I can't begin to tell you the number of fanfics I've begun only to ditch for one reason or another. However, I am determined to see this through to the end... whenever that shall be. 
> 
> Well.... enjoy your Beach Chapter!

Ah the beach. The sun. The sand. The smell of saltwater. The gentle breeze caressing your face. The disgusting dried out, sticky, straw like feeling your hair gets after spending too much time in the water. The obnoxious screeching of seagulls. The inevitable sunburn when someone refuses to put on sunscreen. Sand getting literally everywhere. Spending the entire day following your umbrellas shadow around the ground to stay out of the sunlight.

You hate the beach. Why did you come here? This was such a bad idea. Dave sits on the towel next to you, glare firmly planted on his face.

"Jesus, Dave, just put the damn sunscreen on." Why are you arguing with him about this? He's sixteen, he should know better. You'd let him do his own thing but second degree burns are pretty serious. Also raccoon eyes. You're all going to leave with raccoon eyes, you just know it, but it'll be worse for him if he doesn't put on the sunscreen.

"I don't need any."

"Do you want to look like a tomato?"

"I like to think red looks good on me." You are done with this… like 500% done with his sorry, whiney ass. All you want to do is look out for him and he's being a pain about it 24/7. He's your responsibility, somehow, and sooner or later he's going to have to accept it.

"Get up," you hiss, standing abruptly yourself. He slowly looks up at you frowning.

"No." You pull out your sword and he jumps to his feet, sword in hand. He's never fought you before and you're not really sure how he fights, but you're confident you can beat him. Or at least beat some sense into him. You're vaguely aware of Dirk watching you from the water, ready to intervene if necessary.

Dave shifts in stance and you lunge for him, knocking him back a few feet. He's quick to recover, you realize, as you just barely dodge a swipe. The two of you come together, metal scraping against metal before parting once again. You move quickly, dodging his attacks while looking for an opening. He stumbles in the sad and you mange to land a blow across his back. Time seems to slow down and before you know it, Dave's a few feet away and there's a bleeding gash on your shoulder. The stinging drags you out of your daze just in time to deflect Dave's sword and send him back again.

He smirks at you. You smirk back. You clash once more in a flurry of metal and sand. When the dust settles, you're both covered in various cuts and scrapes, grins planted firmly on your faces.

"Why don't we call this a draw and get on with our day?" you offer.

"Why? Afraid you're gonna lose?" As you go in for another strike you're reminded of how glad you are there's no paparazzi around to witness this. You can only imagine the shit storm it would cause. Dave, however, does not disappoint, holding his ground as you advance.

 

The sun has just gotten past its highest point by the time you finish your strife. You and Dave are laying in the sand when Dirk appears in your line of sight. Your shades are scratched and you're pretty sure you need stitches for at least two cuts. Dave is just slightly worse off than you, his eyewear being lost in the sand somewhere. He's not too happy about it and you don't blame him; you'd be pretty mad if it happened to you. 

Dirk looks between the two of you and offers you both a bottle of water. You do your best not to chug it and fail spectacularly. Dave ends up pouring his over his head. By this point his face and shoulders are beet red. He's going to be sore in the morning. You pick yourself off the ground, brushing sand off your body, and glance down at Dave. He watches you warily, sipping at the remainder of his water.

"I'm ready for a swim," you announce watching the wave crash on the beach. "Who's joining me?" Dirk just shakes his head and returns to your stuff laying out.

"I'm good," Dave respond once your attention is on him. He fidgets under your gaze, looking everywhere but at you. A grin spreads across your face as you grab his wrist and haul him to his feet. He struggle in a vain attempt to get away while you drag him towards the water.

"No seriously," he says, digging his heels in the sand. "I'm good. Not water for me. Nope. I am perfectly hydrated thank you every much. I'll just go chill with Dirk over in the shade there."

"Nonsense," you respond, stopping to throw him over your shoulder. He elbows you in the head, but you ignore him continuing towards the waves. "The best way to cool off is with a refreshing dip." You wade out into the water until it's up to your waist.

"For real, dude. This stopped being funny ten minutes ago." His hands are shaking against your back where they cling to you. It occurs to you that he might be afraid of the ocean. It can be pretty intimidating after all. You should stop this…. And what better way to stop it than putting him down? You heave him off of you, dropping him bodily into the water. He surfaces a few seconds later, sputtering and coughing on water.

"Bro!" Dirk shouts, splashing over to you. Dave's still struggling in the waist deep water when Dirk finally reaches you.

"What?" He glares at you, helping Dave stand as he murmurs reassurances to him. You, for all that it's worth, are deeply confused.

"I can't swim you asshole!" Dave snaps, stomping out of the water. Oh. Well…. Now you feel bad. Maybe someone should have told you that before you suggested this outing. You fight off the memories you have of teaching Dave to swim yourself. He's definitely not used to water or he wouldn't have freaked out so spectacularly. Guess not everything has been rewritten…. Or whatever is going on here.

Dave reaches your belongings and grabs a towel out of his bag, wrapping it around himself while he takes a seat in the sand. Dirk's staring at you in that silent way that says you fucked up royally with this one.

"I didn’t know, okay?"

"When have you ever seen him swimming?" Instances of trips to the beach or the pool flash through your head. You can recall the day Dave and Dirk entered into a swim meet. Dave lost and cried about it the whole way home. Dirk came in fourth.

"I don't exactly trust my memories right now," you tell him. Dirk continues to stare at you. Over the years you've gotten pretty good at interpreting his silence. This one is telling you to fix the situation somehow. You don't want to do that. You're going to anyways.

Exiting the water, you go over and have a seat next to Dave. He scoots away from you looking pointedly down the beach. You sigh, at a loss for words. Most of the time you just wing it and hope for the best. You're not sure if that'll help you here much. An apology would be a good place to start…

"Okay… so… I'm kind of really bad with words," you start. "So… just bear with me here, okay?" He continues to stare down the beach. You continue anyways. "I'm sorry I threw you in the water and you took it with all the grace of a rock. It really isn't my fault though that nobody informed me of you water aversion." His shoulders tense, head tilting towards you slightly. You're not really sure how to interpret this. "And I know you've been having a hard time with this…. Whatever this is. I'm still trying to figure out how you were suddenly dumped in my life like you've been here the whole time. It would be nice if people would just tell me what's going on but since I'm out of luck on that front I'm left here to figure it out on my own. And, you know, moping around the house like a depressed thirteen year old really isn't helping. " He's turned more towards you now, actually focusing on what you're saying. You could really go for a smoke right now. "I get that you don't think of me as your bro… hell I'm having a hard time doing the same for you, but I'm at least trying. And I understand that the whole clone thing is weird as hell…. But…. We're kind of stuck in this situation and I'm responsible for you, so it would be nice if you at least tried making the best of a shitty situation. Shit, man, if you really want, we can go get you a tattoo or something. Rather dye your hair instead? We can do that too. Wanna cut it all off? I wouldn't recommend if but whatever makes you feel better." He watches you from the corner of his eye, face strangely blank before he heaves a sigh of his own.

"Man… I really am obnoxious with that ranting shit," he mutters to himself. He brushes a hand through his hair and sighs again. "I don't want to cut my hair… it would be a crime to society to destroy hair this fine. A tattoo would be nice though."

"So… we good then?"

"For now," he responds with a smirk. You smirk back. It's a start. Not the most ideal, but a start nonetheless. You can live with that. You lapse into silence as Dirk joins you, sitting on his towel to keep sand off him. The three of you stay long enough to watch the sunset, building the raddest sandcastle in existence before going home. Despite the few hiccups along the way, you all leave feeling slightly more upbeat than before. Dave predictably whines the whole way home about his shoulders hurting. You resist the urge to pull an 'I told you so.' Dirk does it instead. One thing's for certain, Dave will be wearing sunscreen on the next trip to the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I ever said I was good at writing fight scenes... I was lying.... immensely. Though I've been told before that the fight scenes I write are good? Idk.... I tend to dislike them almost as much as I hate writing sex scenes (a lot). Don't ever expect sexy times in anything I write. 
> 
> I hope you guys liked this chapter. I actually enjoyed writing it despite how long it took to dish out. Next chapter to come.... eventually.... need to figure out what to write for it. 
> 
> Also, I totally headcanon Dave as not being able to swim. There's no real explanation behind it, I just think it's funny. ^.^


	6. Oh look! A Chapter!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just start of by saying.... I had ABSOLUTELY NO intention of spending a month writing this damn chapter. It was a supremely awful decision for the simple fact that it kinda just fizzles out at the end. Ok... maybe not fizzles, it's just straight up bad. So I apologize for the sudden hiatus. There's not even much of an explanation for it.... other than writer's block. 
> 
> I want to take the time to thank everyone who's left kudos, subscribed, commented, or bookmarked this story. I'm not overly confident in my writing in general let alone writing fanfic so it means a lot to me. 
> 
> If anyone is interested they can find me over on tumblr: yaoistmotherfuckerwhoeverlived.tumblr.com (feel free to follow and pester me on this story, it could help having people talk to me about it)
> 
> In the mean time, enjoy this shitty chapter!

You're not particularly fond of the hype surrounding move premieres. The constant camera flashes and questions being shouted at you got old years ago. At this point, you much prefer to just get inside to watch the stupid movie you spent months putting together.

The Lalondes trail ahead of you while you stop to sign autographs and take some selfies with your fans. Surprisingly, Rory and her mini-me have forgone the clone look tonight. All three of them are dressed in varying shades of purple though. Rory's decked out in an elegant, full length gown. The side of the dress has a beaded design on it, resembling a sun with a slit running up the side and stopping mid thigh. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun. You suspect she got extensions just to do it.

Rose stands not too far off from her, speaking with someone in the crowd. Her hair is done in its usual bob cut sans headband for once. She's wearing a strapless, high-low dress with a black applique on the top half. Unlike Roxy, Rose is wearing low heel shoes. Roxy, on the other hand, is rocking a pair of pink, open toed wedges. Her knee length dress is light and bouncy as she walks alongside Dirk. Like Rory, she also has a one shoulder dress.

Roxy and Dirk are somehow already at the entrance, ready to go inside. It's Dirk's first time to a movie premiere in years. How they got through this mayhem so fast is beyond you.  As you make your way towards Lalonde the Older, you stop and look back at Dave. What surprises you most about him is how he seems to be eating up all this attention. You would have guessed he'd be the first inside after all his bitching and whining about going. Somehow, though, he's right a home on the red carpet. Dave's straight up sauntering his way down, stopping occasionally for a picture or to chat to a reporter.

"Look familiar?" Rory asks, handing a book back to someone in the crowd.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You did the same thing when you finally made it big." She links your arms and heads towards the entrance with you.

"I did no such thing."

"Shall I bring up the magazine reports? Or perhaps you'd prefer the news clips." You stop to sign a few more autographs before continuing on your way. You hold the door open for her, giving her a deep bow. 

"I believe we have a movie to watch, Mrs. Lalonde."

"And your charge?" Dave's made it to Rose by now. The two make their way to the entrance together, Dave's hands flying about wildly as he tells her some story. You're not jealous in the least to see him getting most of the attention. Apparently the public straight up loves your clone. Apparently, this is his first real premiere ever. What even constitutes a "real" premiere? Like does he just show up at the showing in New York or something? How does that even work? You're not completely sure… You don't even try to think of the memories your brain will attempt to supply you with to explain that one.

"He'll be fine," you finally say, stepping after her into the foyer of the theater. "Now let's go listen to people tell me how great I am before the movie starts."

******

You're five kinds of funny and everyone hates you for it. They wish they were as great as you. You can live with that. It still baffles you though, that people actually like the shit you manage to create. Somehow the insanity of it all works well enough together to create pure genius. You've long since stopped caring. 

Dirk's sitting next to you, tapping away on his phone, not even the slightest hint of paying attention to the movie. Next to him is Dave whose attention has been planted firmly on the screen since the movie started. You're not sure he's even blinked this whole time.

Rory's on your other side, jotting down notes in her book, conversing with Rose every so often over something she's written. Roxy, unsurprisingly, is also on her phone. She's probably pestering Dirk.

Like all your other films, you're having mixed feelings about this one. It's only upon sitting in a theater full of people that you notice mistakes or things that could have been done differently. Certain lines feel entirely forced or unnatural to the character speaking. It's too late to do anything about it now though, and as the credits begin to appear, you're met with applause from the viewers around you. At least they liked it.

As people file out of the theater, they stop and give you plenty of praise on the movie. You and your family get invited to the after party. You decide to pass this time around, too tired to entertain. Dirk's fingers won't stop twitching at his sides and Dave's eyes have gone completely bloodshot from staring for so long. You figure you'll take them out for a celebratory dinner and then home to relax.

The three of you bid farewell to the Lalondes and climb into a limo waiting outside. Dirk promptly sprawls across one of the seats, resting an arm over his face, shades pushed up into his hair.

"So," you say to Dave after a few moments of silence. "What did you think?" A grin spreads across his face as he begins his response. You suspect this may have been a bad idea. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me start off with a disclaimer that I in no way, shape, or form am good at fashion stuff. I kinda just looked up something that worked for the Lalondes and went with it. So yeah....
> 
> ALSO, I feel the need to say, that this probably won't be updating for awhile? I got a new job!!! It starts in May! ^.^ I'm moving to Massachusetts so I'll be packing and stuff, but also, I'm writing a book!! Which I'm gonna try and devote all my time and energy to. 
> 
> Aside from that.... I'm sort of stumped on what to do next for this story.... but I'm determined to end it, so I'll do my best to not just disappear.


	7. I promise this story isn't dead!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I finally posted another chapter! It's been awhile and for that I apologize... work kicks my butt on a near daily basis and I have a crap ton of other projects going on (a book, three other fanfics, completing my Pokedex and other vid game shenanigans). 
> 
> Either way, I was determined to get another chapter out.... it's short which is nothing new and utter crap but enjoy it nonetheless!

The clock reads 3AM. You hate waking up at 3AM. All because of that stupid movie. You gaze blindly into the darkness, mind attempting to piece together the remnants of your dream. All you can remember is a baseball cap… the clashing of swords. An older version of Dirk? No… that can't be right. Maybe what he'll look like when he gets older. 

The floor creaks in the hallway outside your door. The doorknob jiggles briefly. Your heart rate speeds up. Straining your ears, you can just barely make out the sound of socks shuffling across the floor. It's an instant relief. Someone's awake. You know from experience that it's not Dirk. He actually knows how to pick his feet up properly. It has to be Dave, that's the only other option. That or your place is haunted and you're not ready to deal with that idea just yet.

You debate on whether to get up or not, eventually settling on getting out of bed. It'll be another hour or so before you can get back to sleep anyways.

Unsurprisingly, Dave is in the kitchen helping himself to a drink. He turns around and startles at your sudden appearance in the doorway. His choice of drink is apple juice. This is far from news to you. It's moments like these, when he's drinking the same shit as you, awake at the same time, and without his preferred eyewear that you're painfully aware of how alike you two are.

The red eyes and blonde hair are the biggest giveaways but it's also in how he hunches into himself when he's uncomfortable. It's the way his fingers fidget against his cup in nervous anticipation. How he averts any and every type of eye contact with you. Watching him is like looking back at your teenage self, long before you Dirk landed in your care. If he was to be DNA tested would you both come back a perfect match?

He opens his mouth to speak, closes it, and the lets out a huff offering his drink to you. You take it with a muttered 'thanks' and sit down at the table.

"Couldn't sleep?" you ask while he gets himself another drink.

"Just have a lot on my mind," he mutters sitting across from you and taking a sip. You study his face, notice the crease between his brows, how dark it is under his eyes, the ghost of a frown dancing across his face. He catches you staring.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" You suck at talking about things. Though if it'll make him feel better you might as well offer. What are feelings even?

"I…" he starts, faltering for moment. You wait for him to gather his thoughts. "Do…. Ugh, god. I don't even know what I want to say… everything is so fucked up right now."

 "It's cool, take your time." He lets out a bitter laugh, eyes ghosting over with a pained look no one his age should ever have. You want to ask but Dave appears to collect his thoughts.

"Do you ever think there could be a person out there in the world, who looks exactly like Dirk? Like how you and I are?"

"Some people believe doppelgangers are a thing…. But I think they're supposed to be the same age as you. I'm not sure if Dirk could have a lookalike. I suppose he could though…. I'm not even sure how I ended up with one." Your non-memories tell you he was always there, fell into your care at the same time as Dirk. Intuition won't stop screaming at you on how wrong your memories are. It's like trying to cram two different puzzles together. You can force it to fit but it'll never be exact.

"Why are you up right now?" he asks, jarring you out of your thoughts. "Was it because of your dreams?" He leans towards you, face openly curious. This is probably the most open he's been since he showed up. You don't want to shut him out, but talking about this isn't any interest to you. You're not even sure how he knows, though it's probably just a guess. Bad dreams are a common reason to be awake at night. He's not a mind reader. 

"Happens sometimes," you respond. 

"What were they about?"

"Dreams are dreams, dude," you say, finishing your drink. "Is there a reason you want to know? Something you want to talk about?"

"No," he mutters, sitting back in his seat.

"What does this have to do with your other question?"

"Nothing." His face goes carefully blank, closing himself off again. Whatever chance you had at a bonding moment is now over. You're not sure how to feel about that. The two of you sit in silence while he finishes his drink before heading back to bed.

You dream of the older Dirk again. He takes his baseball cap off and hands it to you.

_It's yours now, lil bro. Take care of it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp.... until next time my faithful readers! I'll do my best to get the next one done in a timely manner.


	8. Valentine's Update!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fuck, I swear I did not plan on going so long without updating! I can't even say life got busy... but it kind of did... I've been working on cosplay for AnimeBoston this year so I got super busy with that. Haha... ha.... I'm so sorry guys! Well... enjoy the next chapter!
> 
> P.S. I can be found on tumblr if anyone is interest: yaoistmotherfuckerwhoeverlived.tumblr.com

Dear Mr. Strider,

Thank you so much for taking an active interest in our company. While we love watching your antics and creativity on the big screen, we would very much appreciate it if they remained there. Regardless, we have completed the test and attached it to this letter.

Best Regards,  
Genetics 

You… you're not really sure what you're reading right now. What any of this even means. The letter sits next to you on the couch as you read and reread the lab results. According to this… Dave and you are literally the same person. Which you kind of already knew, but knowing and seeing are two completely different things. You don't even know what this could possibly mean. It has to be a joke. There's no way anybody has achieved this kind of technology yet. 

"Dirk!" you shout, anger and confusion coloring your voice. The music from Dave's room come to an abrupt stop. Silence is your only answer. You get up, calling for Dirk again, only to be met with silence. Again. Heaving a sigh, you go to his room and throw the door open. 

He's sitting at his table, tinkering with something, headphone pressed firmly over his ears. Even from this distance, you can hear the music clear as day. Quickly stepping over to him, you yank the headphones off. On impulse, he swings around and hit you in the face with a wrench. You smack it out of his hand. it skitters across the floor, coming to a stop just shy of the bed. 

"You got some explaining to do," you say, meeting his gaze. Even without sunglasses on, Dirk manages the perfect poker face. You're not sure where he gets it from. You're not sure you even want to know. 

"Reflexes, bro," he responds. "You can't go attacking someone like that and not except a reaction." 

"I called you like three times! You're going to go deaf listening to music that loud." 

"Helps me focus." You roll your eyes, and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. 

"This isn't why I came in here," you say, handing him the lab results. "Explain this please." He takes the paper, looking it over carefully. He glanced up at you then back at the paper, then back at you. 

"So you sent them your DNA? I don't see the pro-"

"No," you snap. "I sent them mine and Dave's and they seem to think it was all me. Explain. Now." Something changes in his expression. A subtle sort of clarity, followed by a growing look of dread. In an instant, he's blank faced again. 

"You should talk to Dave," is all he says, handing the paper back to you. "You two need to figure it out for yourselves." 

"I'm asking you though," you grumble, crumpling the paper in hand. "Dave will be even more unwilling to talk about it than you're being. So, again, explain. Please." He sighs and turns back to you.

"I really don't want to be involved in this," he says. "I told him to tell you from day one but he refused. Now you two need to just sit down and hash shit out." You stare him down. He stares right back, refusing to be swayed on the matter. 

"Dave!" you shout, turning to leave the room. 

"Bro, wait!" Dirk calls after you, but it's too late. You're already opening the door to Dave's room. He's half out the window by the time you get it open. Dave stares at you, sunglasses resting atop his head, frozen in the window. You're vaguely reminded of a deer caught in headlights. 

"What the fuck, man. Get back in here," you grumble, stepping further into the room. "We need to talk." With shaking hands, he comes back into the room, removing his shades and placing them on his desk. His gaze focuses on the floor and stays there. Unsurprisingly, Dirk's standing in the doorway, watching the scene unfold, worry flashing through his eyes. Unease creeps into your gut. Something about the situation seems very off and it's not sitting right with you. You look between Dirk and Dave and let out a sigh. 

"Why don't we order some pizza, and have a little chat?" you say, glancing at Dirk meaningfully. "All of us."

******

"And that's how we ended up here," Dirk finishes, quietly. He leans over and grabs another slice of pizza, gaze avoidant as he bites into it. That's a rule in your house. No shades when having serious talk. It's too easy to hide behind them. You look between the two of them, brain processing everything you've been told. On one hand, it sound too crazy to be true. Dirk and Dave should probably be institutionalized, but some part of you knows it's the truth. You blame that on Dave specifically. How else could you possibly have a clone of yourself, sitting across from you. He shifts uncomfortably, under your scrutiny, gaze still refusing to meet yours. 

"Okay," is all you can say, as you sit back in your seat. 

"Okay?" 

"Okay…" You need time to process and evaluate everything you've just been told. On some level it makes sense… what with alternate timelines and universes. The idea of the game though… of all of it. Your brain can't figure out if it's crazy or rational. You can feel another headache brewing. "Okay," you say again. "Why don't we watch a movie or something? Play some games?" 

Dirk's giving you a confused look, and Dave's finally meeting your gaze. You're not sure how to interpret his current expression. A swirl of emotions runs through him, and he's just as unsure of them as you are. That much you know. Dave jumps up from his seat, grabbing the last slice of pizza, and flees from the room. Moments later, the soft latch and click of his door tells you all you need to know. You wonder vaguely when he'll come back out. Last time it was a month before you saw him again. 

"I'm…. I'm gonna go for a walk…. I think," you mutter, rising from the table and walking out the door. Dirk doesn't bother trying to stop you. He'll probably check up on Dave while you're away. You don't have a problem with that.


	9. Missing Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I swear I can explain disappearing for almost a year... I got writer's block... then got a puppy, started a new job and moved. Needless to say it's been hectic. Also, I may have started a new fanfic. It's Davekat so if that's you're thing, be on the look out for when the first chapter goes up! 
> 
> If anyone is still reading this, bless you for sticking it out for so long. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The sun is setting. The sky fades to dark. There's something beautifully poetic about it. You fail to see it. What's the point when shit hit the fan so hard you'll never clean the mess up. It's been a few weeks. Dave's still locked in his room. You're convinced he's sneaking out the window at night to do shit. Dirk won't talk to you. Rory won't stop calling. Or texting for that matter. She probably found out about what happened. You suspect Rose told her. Your phone's ringing again. This time, you answer. 

"What." 

"Missing something, Dana?" God. You seriously dislike your name. You especially dislike the way she says it. Should have changed it years ago. To what though? Dave? Maybe that's what it originally was. Maybe when the world dumped Dave into your life, your name had to change. He should have gotten the short end of the stick. 

"No," you grumble, leaning against the railing around the roof. Far below, you can hear the honking of horns, the shrieks of children's laughter. "Why would I be missing something?" Her light laughter rings in your ear. 

"When was the last time you saw Dave?" 

"Fuck." 

"I'm not surprised, honestly," she says. "With how you awkwardly dance around each other. He certainly had plenty of time to book it across the country." Welp. That explains why he's been missing for so long. Somehow this doesn't surprise you. 

"You don't mind watching him, do you?" 

"I suppose not, but you owe me." 

"I'll come pick him up next week," you say. It'll give him time to clear his head. To think things through. You certainly need some time. Besides, there's another brother you need to have a chat with. If he'll even talk to you. 

"I'll make sure he is pleasantly surprised for your arrival," she says. The line goes dead. You watch the sun set until the sky is dark. You wish you could see the stars from here. Maybe a road trip is in order. A bonding experience between you and Dirk. It would give the two of you time to talk about everything that's happened. Get the truth. The real answers. This evasiveness can only go so far. 

With a sigh, you turn and head back down to the apartment. Hopefully Dirk isn't doing anything important right now. You got some planning to do. After all, there's plenty of sights to see on road trips. 

Dirk's door is cracked open when you come back inside. Music leaks out of the crack, playing softly down the hall. You don't even bother to knock. He undoubtedly has headphones on and if the music is this audible it's definitely killing his hearing. Sure enough, when you push the door open he's got them firmly planted over his head. You yank them off and nearly get your own head sliced off. 

"Whoa," you say, throwing your hands up. "Easy with the weaponry there, bud." 

"Sorry…" he mutters, putting the sword away. "Habit." You wave him off and glance around the room. It's oddly organized but messy at the same time. How he achieves this level of perfection you'll never know. "What's up?" 

"I'm thinking we should take a road trip," you say, sitting on his bed. Even the rumpled sheets somehow look neat on his bed. What the hell. "To New York. Hit the open road. Just you and me, brotherly bonding. It'll be great." 

"You know you can get apples here, right?" he asks, staring you down. "They aren't limit to just New York." Your face heats up. Of course, he'd say that. Asshole. 

"I'm not going for apples!" you hiss. "Jesus Christ. I just thought it'd be fun." He's silent for a moment, thinking it over. Hopefully planning out things he'd like to see along the way. 

"We're getting Dave, aren't we?" 

"Did you know he was gone?" He shrugs and turns back to his computer. You watch him type a message out to someone and then he's focusing back on you. 

"I only knew when Roxy contacted me." 

"Which was when?" He shrugs again. You huff, scowling at him. "Are you in or not?" 

"Are we stopping to see the world's largest ball of yarn?" 

"Hell yeah," you reply, grinning widely. "What kind of cross country road trip doesn't involve oddities and tourist traps?" He grins about as wide as he'll allow without breaking his poker face. 

"What the fuck are we sitting around for then? Let's do this." 

"We leave in the morning," you say, offering him a fist bump. He gladly returns it.


End file.
